Posts Tagged ‘
health ’

Study: Childhood ADHD May Lead to Troubles Later On
Nearly a third of people diagnosed as children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) still have the condition in adulthood, according to a large new study that also found they’re more likely to develop other mental disorders and to commit suicide. (via Reuters)

K-12 Student Database Jazzes Tech Startups, Spooks Parents
An education technology conference this week in Austin, Texas, will clang with bells and whistles as startups eagerly show off their latest wares. (via Reuters)

U.S. Baby’s HIV Infection Cured Through Very Early Treatment
A baby girl in Mississippi who was born with HIV has been cured after very early treatment with standard HIV drugs, U.S. researchers reported on Sunday, in a potentially ground-breaking case that could offer insights on how to eradicate HIV infection in its youngest victims. (via Reuters)

Rewards Get Kids Active, But Don’t Improve Health
Children will meet activity goals to earn rewards, but the extra effort doesn’t necessarily affect their weight and health, according to a new study. (via FOX News)

Los Angeles Board Race Attracts National Attention and Money
On Tuesday, voters in Los Angeles will go to the polls for a mayoral primary. But much of the attention will also be on the three races for the school board, a battle that involves the mayor, the teachers’ union and a host of advocates from across the country — including New York City’s billionaire mayor — who have poured millions of dollars into the races. (via New York Times)

When I was growing up, afterschool was for Skittles, Doritos, and 25-cent juices. When my daughter gets home from school, she pulls the bag of baby carrots out of the fridge and chomps away happily. Times have definitely changed.

If my mother offered carrots as an after school snack, I would have thought that I was being punished. Maybe that’s because she didn’t have as much support as I do. Lucky for me, our First Lady launched the Let’s Move initiative on February 9, 2010, when my daughter was only two years old. That means that I haven’t been the only one introducing her to healthy foods and exercise.

Over the past three years, Let’s Move has inspired schools, childcare providers, and business leaders to improve the health of our nation’s children.

As of January of 2013, more than 10,000 child-care professionals and organizations have registered to implement new criteria for nutrition, physical activity, and limited screen time.

Through Chefs Move to School, 2,400 chefs and nearly 4,000 schools have signed up to work together, teaching kids about healthy eating and helping cafeteria staff prepare healthier meals.

The American Beverage Association has also stepped up and fulfilled their commitment to put clear calorie labels on the front of their products to give consumers better information.

Now, in celebration of Let’s Move’s 3rd anniversary, Michelle Obama has teamed up with Sesame Street’s Big Bird to film two public service announcements encouraging kids to eat healthy and get active.

The new PSAs feature Mrs. Obama and Big Bird in the White House showing kids how easy and delicious it is to eat healthy snacks like fruits and vegetables and demonstrating fun ways to get active like dancing and jumping. Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, will distribute these PSAs to 320 PBS Stations, Sesame Workshop’s partner channels as part of their Healthy Habits for Life Initiative. The PSAs are also posted on the Sesame Street and Let’s Move! websites.

You can also check out our new story, “Active Learners,” which explains just how physical education classes—which are in danger of being cut from many schools—help children perform better academically.

Big news, you guys. You know that delicious bowl (or, um, sometimes pseudo-bucket) of olive oil they give you at every Italian restaurant? The one you sometimes feel a little guilty about sopping up with tons of gorgeously crusty bread? Well, scientists have just proven that indulging in a bit of olive oil as part of a Mediterranean diet can dramatically reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from heart disease. And? It’s a smart diet to borrow from during pregnancy—minus the recommended glasses of vino, of course!

Along with a focus on olive oil, the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet studied included servings of fish every week (make sure it’s not a high mercury fish!), including plenty of nuts and legumes, and avoiding processed meats and snacks. No calorie counting. No cardboard-tasting diet foods. Just a delicious “diet” that can save your life.

The really cool thing is that the Mediterranean diet has extra health benefits for pregnant women and their babes-to-be: olive oil (and the olives it comes from), fish, and legumes all contain healthy fatty acids, which are vital in developing your baby’s nervous system—including her brain. Add in a bunch of fruits and veggies for balance, and you’ve got yourself a smart and scrumptious pregnancy feast!

We all know it’s important to form healthy hygiene habits from an early age — and a specific one is tooth care. According to the CDC, tooth decay (or cavities) actually “affect children in the United States more than any other chronic infectious disease.”

Dental experts recommend that kids see the dentist by their first birthday, when their teeth are starting to grow, though waiting until they’re 2- or 3-years old is also okay. Parents should help their children brush and floss until they are old enough, or have developed the fine motor skills, to hold a toothbrush and dental floss on their own.

It’s only February and some of our treadmills (mine included) have already started collecting dust. Let’s face facts: after a long day, getting the kids to sleep is about as much exercise as our bodies can take. That’s why I’ve decided to start focusing more on my diet, and less on getting 5 workouts in every week.

Two weeks ago, just a day after a pair of my favorite slacks refused to close, I came across the George Foreman “Grills” Weight Loss Challenge. George Foreman grills has partnered with Food Network star, Gina Neely, from Down Home with the Neely’s, to present this new program, which runs from March 4th to May 26th. Sign-up closes March 3rd.

You can sign up for free at GeorgeForemanCooking.com/WeightLoss by March 3rd, and you’ll get a weight loss kit that contains 28 days of meal plans created by Gina. These are 10 minute, low-calorie, delicious grilled meals. Yesterday I made my husband two Southern BBQ Turkey Sliders for lunch. They took 10 minutes to make, and together they were only 332 calories. They were so good; he kept demanding to know where I bought them.

Along with the meal plans, you also get fitness tips including exercises that you can do at home with no extra equipment, a calorie calculator, grocery shopping cheat sheet, food tracker, and restaurant guide. The George Foreman Cooking Facebook page also has an online community where you can get additional support and tips, and interact with other contestants. Perhaps the most exciting thing about the challenge is the chance to win a first place prize of $1,000 prize money and a $500 credit for product from Whole Heath, or a grand prize of $2,500 prize money and a $500 credit for product from Whole Health.

Gina Neeley took the challenge and she looks amazing! When I spoke with her, she said that, in just a few weeks, her palate has gotten so accustomed to the new, healthier meals, that she couldn’t handle the sweetness of her old favorite goodies. I’m ready to make that my story. Rev up your New Year’s resolution with me and sign up!

If your child is anything like mine, you probably dread vaccination day. When my then 3-year-old daughter wrapped her arms around me, and used every muscle in her little legs to push off of the examination table sending me flying backward into the hall, I have to admit, I deeply considered skipping the next round. But we pushed through them, and now at five, she’s replaced her fear of needles with a fear of large cotton swabs (a strep test — it’s a long story).

Although we’ve all witnessed a runaway kid or two at the pediatrician’s office, the truth behind this needle nightmare is that one in every 10 Americans has a fear needles, or trypanophobia. Digital health media company, Healthline, has called it an under-reported healthcare crisis. Fear of needles can cause a person to skip vaccinations, which puts everyone’s health at risk.

According to Healthline, needle phobia usually develops around age 4 or 5 with a traumatic immunization experience. And if you told your kid that it wasn’t going to hurt, you can bet his immunization experience was traumatic.

According to Healthline’s CEO West Shell, “The key to ending needle phobia is awareness, education, and action. Needle phobia must be addressed and it must be addressed on large public platforms. Fear of snakes or fear of public speaking doesn’t kill people, but fear of needles does.”

Healthline has recently launched a public health campaign to help put an end to needle phobia. Take the End Needle Phobia Pledge, and help prevent your children from developing needle phobia by telling them the truth: shots help to protect them and others from dangerous diseases, and they hurt – but only for a second.

I’ve always thought of Jamba Juice as a delicious place for smoothies. Still is. But today it started offering a couple of kids’ lunch and snack options, plus three smoothies in smaller portions. My favorite new menu item: the “pizza swirl,” an adorable pinwheel-shaped mini pie with turkey, cheese, and tomato sauce on whole-grain crust. (But your kid will never notice because it doesn’t look at all like it’s made with whole-wheat flour). The pizza contains 300 calories and only 300 milligrams of sodium—which is super-low for fast-food fare. My daughter most wants to try the new Poppin’ Peach Mango Smoothie. It doesn’t have added sugar; it’s made with bananas, peaches, mangos, and passion fruit juice. For more healthy picks when dining out, check out Parentsnew guide to chain restaurants.

Kids Given Healthier Snacks Eat Fewer Calories
Kids given a combination of cheese and vegetables will eat only about a quarter as many calories as those given potato chips, according to a new study. (via Reuters)

Children of Older Parents with Cancer May Be at Risk, Too
Children of parents diagnosed with cancer when they’re old are at increased risk for certain types of cancer, a new study suggests. (via HealthDay News)

Poor Children Have Highest In-Hospital Death Rate
Children from poorer neighborhoods who are hospitalized are more likely to die before discharge than kids from wealthier areas, according to a new study. (via Reuters)

Supportive Role Models, Coping Lead to Better Health in Poor Teens
Low-income teenagers who have supportive role models and engage in adaptive strategies have lower levels of a marker for cardiovascular risk than low-income teens without such resources, according to new research. (via ScienceDaily)

Parents: Don’t Jump Into Sibling Squabbles
Sibling conflict may increase a young person’s risk for depression and anxiety, but parents can help guard children’s mental health by setting up “house rules,” a new study finds. (via University of Missouri)